What if I told you humor isn’t just for lightening the mood—it’s actually a critical leadership skill for building resilience and navigating tension?
I’m so excited to feature Rev. Nathan Mugaas’ thoughts on this important topic. Nathan is a friend and fellow speaker here in Minnesota, USA – my home base.
I hope you enjoy his perspective as much as I do.
(Psst! And if you’re looking for a speaker on workplace wellbeing, I highly urge you to check him out!)
I feel honored that Andrea invited me to write about what I believe is one of the most powerful tools for facing life’s challenges: humor.
I’m Nathan Mugaas, a speaker, pastor, and aspiring (regularly failing) comedian.
The Setup = Tension|The Punchline = Hope
I only tried stand-up comedy for the first time three years ago and since then I have had success doing stand-up and I have BOMBED. The bombs usually happen when I ignore basic joke structure: a setup creates tension, followed by a punchline that releases it.
So if I’m doing comedy for a crowd that’s used to more R-rated material, I might say, “Oh, by the way, I’m actually a pastor… (tension). Don’t worry, I’m not here to judge you or force my religion on you—but let’s pause for a word of prayer.” (release)
This tension–release pattern doesn’t just apply to comedy—it’s the rhythm of life. Work stress, bills, breakdowns, grief, strained relationships—life gives us plenty of tension, and we need healthy ways to release it. I may be biased, but I think humor is one of the best ways to face life’s challenges. But how?
Happiness and Joy
When it comes to humor in your life, you’ve probably experienced it on two levels: happiness and joy.
Happiness is what psychologists call a form of hedonic well-being—the pleasure we get from fun, comfort, and momentary happiness. Not bad, but short-lived.
Joy leads to eudaimonic well-being—the deeper sense of meaning and belonging that sustains us.
So what can we do to get some of each—but really lean into joy?
Three Ways to Use Humor
1. Humor as Distraction (Happiness)
Humor through funny TV shows, reels, movies, books, or stand-up can be a welcome distraction—a quick hit of happiness to help you through hard times. Sure, it’s a form of escapism, but if you’re facing something heavy and know you’re just “eating a bowl of Cool Whip,” using humor as a distraction can still be helpful.
2. Humor as Connection (Joy)
While laughing alone is good, laughing with others is even better. Humor isn’t just about punchlines—it’s about people.
Comedian Kate McKinnon (yes, Weird Barbie herself) puts it beautifully:
“Comedy is a tool of togetherness. It’s a way of putting your arm around someone, pointing at something, and saying, ‘Isn’t it funny that we do that?’ It’s a way of reaching out.”
Humor invites people in. That’s why inside jokes are so powerful. In my family, our inside jokes wouldn’t make sense to you—but that’s okay. They’re not about being universally funny; they’re about belonging. Laughing with someone means you’ve found common ground, shared joy, and created a bond that will last.
3. Humor as Reframing (Joy)
Finding humor in hardship can be life-giving. My best example of this is funeral laughter. Those two words shouldn’t go together—and yet, some of the deepest, most joyful laughter I’ve heard has been at funerals.
Why? It’s the basic structure of tension and release. At a funeral, the tension is already present—grief, unfamiliar faces, the ache of loss. Then someone shares a funny memory or story, and the room laughs. That laughter doesn’t diminish the grief; it honors it and reframes it as a moment of grace, reminding us that deep sorrow only exists because there has been deep love.
So the next time you feel tension rising—stress in your chest, anxiety tightening its grip—pause and notice it. There it is: the setup. Then ask yourself where you might find a moment of release. Maybe it’s a shared laugh or simply allowing yourself to smile at the absurdity of being human. Because laughter—especially in our hardest moments—reminds us that death and struggle are not the whole story. At church, we call that hope.
Happiness and Joy
We learn from the great prophet John… Lennon (yes, I’m quoting the Beatle, not the Bible):
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
Humor won’t make all your problems disappear, but it can remind you that your current struggle is not the end of your story. So whether you use humor as a welcome distraction, a way to deeply connect, or a lens to reframe what’s hard—use it boldly and often. Choosing to laugh isn’t denial—it’s an act of hope. Your hardships don’t get the last laugh, love and life do.
Want to try this out in real life?
I’ve put together a short Practical Guide to Using Humor Today! — real tools for finding laughter, connection, and hope in everyday moments. It’s a simple way to practice joy and perspective, even when life isn’t easy.
👉 Click here to put it into action.
Nathan Mugaas is a Minnesota-based speaker and pastor who blends years of experience walking with people through life’s challenges with a gift for storytelling and humor. He works with organizations that want to beat burnout so they can find greater resilience, productivity, and joy.
